memeorandum: Rubio, in Appeal to G.O.P.'s Conscience, Urges Compromise on Dream Act (Jonathan Weisman/New York Times)

2:00 PM ET, April 20, 2012

Top Items:

Tommy Christopher / Mediaite:

Mitt Romney's 'Obama Isn't Working' Banner Evokes Racial Stereotypes — Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney rolled out a new accessory at a speech in Ohio today, delivering his remarks in front of a black banner that said “Obama Isn't Working,” which is also the name …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, Wake up America, Left Coast Rebel, The PJ Tatler, Washington Post, The Right Sphere, National Review, Shakesville, No More Mister Nice Blog, Weasel Zippers and Patterico's Pontifications

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

Mitt Romney's challenge: Convincing GOP he can win — Poll after poll indicates the presidential campaign is a dead heat, but you wouldn't know it from talking to many Republican professionals. If you gave them truth serum, they would tell you they think Mitt Romney will lose.

Discussion: CNN, ABCNEWS, Online NewsHour, New York Times, Hotline On Call and The Hill

CNN:
Romney releases March fundraising figures

Discussion: Associated Press, Politico, ABCNEWS and The Political Carnival

Mitch Daniels / CNN:
Daniels offers tough love for Romney

Discussion: Hot Air

Helene Cooper / New York Times:
Campaign Memo: Campaign Memo: In Strategy Shift, Obama Team Attacks Romney From the Left

Discussion: Daily Kos and Conservatives4Palin

Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:
Coulter: Obama's silver spoon was ‘an affirmative action silver spoon’

Discussion: Associated Press, Hot Air, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, rightwingwatch.org and HotAirPundit

Indianapolis Star:
Matthew Tully: Gov. Mitch Daniels offers support to Sen. Richard Lugar, advice to Mitt Romney

Discussion: The Hill, ThinkProgress, ABCNEWS, The Maddow Blog and National Review

Matt Gutman / ABCNEWS:

Warning Graphic Photo: Possible New Evidence Shows George Zimmerman's Bloodied Head — A new photograph obtained exclusively by ABC News showing the bloodied back of George Zimmerman's head, which was apparently taken three minutes after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin …

Discussion: New York Magazine, UrbanGrounds and Clayton Cramer's Blog

CNN:

Live blog: Zimmerman ‘sorry’ for loss of Martins' son; bond set at $150,000 — After George Zimmerman took the stand during his bond hearing and told Trayvon Martin's parents that he was sorry for the loss of their son, a Florida judge Friday set Zimmerman's bond at $150,000.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Weasel Zippers, Daily Kos, A Blog For All and Hit & Run

Faiz Shakir / ThinkProgress:
Prosecutor: Zimmerman Allegedly Slapped His Ex-Girlfriend And ‘Asked Her How It Felt’

Discussion: Jezebel and Colorlines

Alex Alvarez / Mediaite:
GMA Shows Exclusive Images Of George Zimmerman's Head Injuries From Night Of Trayvon's Death

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and The Moderate Voice

Associated Press: George Zimmerman: Judge sets bail at $150K

Associated Press: Florida judge to decide if Zimmerman can leave jail, as experts say he has good chance of being granted bail

Dan Friedman / NationalJournal.com:

Manchin on the Fence About Obama Vote — Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who has done more than any other Democrat up for reelection this year to distance himself from President Obama, said he does not know if he will vote for Obama or presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney in November.

Discussion: GOP 12, Mediaite, Taegan Goddard's …, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway and Hotline On Call

Jesse Helfrich / Ballot Box:

Democrats expressing buyers' remorse on Obama's healthcare law — An increasing number of Democrats are taking potshots at President Obama's healthcare law ahead of a Supreme Court decision that could overturn it. — The public grievances have come from centrists and liberals and reflect rising anxiety ahead of November's elections.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, The Week, Hot Air, The Heritage Foundation, NewsBusters.org, Washington Free Beacon, Instapundit and Wake up America

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Democrats Joining G.O.P. on Pipeline

Discussion: Fox News, Don Surber, Politico and Firedoglake

Washington Examiner:
York:Obama faces defeat on pipeline as Dems defect

Discussion: Mail Online, Datechguy's Blog, Power Line and Wall Street Journal

Washington Post:

Secret Service supervisors involved in Colombia scandal identified — One of the Secret Service supervisors who was forced out of the agency this week for his involvement in the Colombia prostitution scandal made light of his official protective work on his Facebook page …

Discussion: Fox News, ABCNEWS, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, BuzzFeed, Politico, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, Associated Press, The Hill, Weasel Zippers, New York Magazine and msnbc.com

RealClearPolitics Video Log:

Palin To Secret Service Agent: “Check This Out, Bodyguard — You're Fired” — Sarah Palin joined FOX News tonight to discuss the Secret Service prostitution scandal as well as the GSA spending scandal. Palin also reacted to news that broke this afternoon about another Secret Service scandal, this time involving her.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, tpmmuckraker …, Wonkette, Booman Tribune, Weasel Zippers, Pat Dollard, Indecision Forever and Washington Post

Dana Bash / CNN:
Ousted Secret Service agent posted Palin pics on Facebook

Discussion: Fox News, The PJ Tatler and iOwnTheWorld.com

Ben Jacobs / The Daily Beast:

Brian Schweitzer: Mitt Romney's ‘Family Came From a Polygamy Commune in Mexico’ — Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer says Mitt Romney's roots in Mexico will hurt him with female voters. — The Daily Beast contacted the office of Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer today to talk about whether his state …

Discussion: The Hill, Politico, Lean Left, The Other McCain, RedState, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, The Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Fausta's Blog, msnbc.com, The Reality-Based Community, Hot Air, Mediaite and National Review

Gateway Guest Blogger / The Gateway Pundit:

Oops! Dem Governor Bashes Romney for Polygamist Roots - Forgets About Obama's Polygamist DAD — The Luo Tribe has a long history of polygamy... In this Obama Family photo are: (bottom row, from left) half-sister Auma, her mother Kezia Obama, Obama's step-grandmother Sarah Hussein Onyango Obama …

Discussion: Ed Driscoll

Gregory Korte / USA Today:

Misinformation campaign targets USA TODAY reporter, editor — WASHINGTON - A USA TODAY reporter and editor investigating Pentagon propaganda contractors have themselves been subjected to a propaganda campaign of sorts, waged on the Internet through a series of bogus websites. — Sponsored Links

Discussion: Guardian, ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, Politico, Media Decoder and The Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

CBO estimates Obama 2013 budget will hit economic growth — The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Friday that President Obama's 2013 budget will hurt the economy in the long term, arguing the larger deficits it would produce would reduce the amount of capital available to businesses.

Discussion: CBO's Publications, Weasel Zippers and Washington Free Beacon

Annie Lowrey / New York Times:

Fears Rise That Recovery May Falter in the Spring — WASHINGTON — Some of the same spoilers that interrupted the recovery in 2010 and 2011 have emerged again, raising fears that the winter's economic strength might dissipate in the spring. — In recent weeks, European bond yields have started climbing.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Enterprise Blog, Prairie Weather, The Awl and Don Surber

Joshua Rhett Miller / Fox News:

LEGOs for girls has feminist group in a twist — The new “Lego Friends” line rolled out in December features LadyFigs, curvier takeoffs on the traditional boxy figurines that live in a place called Heartlake City. Shown above is a set depicting “Stephanie's Outdoor Bakery.” (LEGO.com)

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The PJ Tatler

Eugene Volokh / The Volokh Conspiracy:

Congressman Proposes Amendment to Strip Most Newspapers, Churches, Nonprofits, and Other Corporations of All Constitutional Rights — That's the People's Rights Amendment: … So just as Congress could therefore ban the speech of nonmedia business corporations, it could ban publications …

Discussion: protein wisdom and freespeechforpeople.org

Terence P. Jeffrey / CNSNews:
Pelosi: Amend the First Amendment

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Right Wing News, protein wisdom, Weasel Zippers and Hot Air

Chris Geidner / Poliglot:

Romney Hires Out Gay Spokesman to Tackle Foreign Affairs and National Security Issues — Mitt Romney's campaign tonight announced that it has hired Richard Grenell, an out gay former George W. Bush administration official, to serve as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's …

Discussion: Guardian, ThinkProgress, The Daily Dish, Towleroad News #gay, Firedoglake and Joe. My. God.